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2011 New Cambria local government reform
The 2011 New Cambria local government reform is a controversial series fundamental changes to the way local government bodies operate in New Cambria. Original legislation precipitating the reform was passed in 2009 and 2010, with the most significant acts receiving the approval of the Assembly of Deputies of New Cambria on 25 March 2011. Background Prior to the reform, New Cambria was divided into nine counties, and 65 municipalities. Each county had an elected County Council, made up of representatives from each municipality in the county. The County Councils had power over waste management, primary and secondary education, libraries, social services, transport, strategic planning and consumer protection. Below the County Councils were the individual Municipal Councils. The Municipal Councils were also elected, either at-large or from subdivided districts within each municipality. The Municipal Councils had more limited powers, including housing, waste collection, tax collection, licensing and cemeteries. New Cambria's four largest municipalities at the time (Arvant, Averytown, Talbot and Southport) had special status as "Home Rule Municipalities," which entitled their Municipal Councils to take on county-level tasks. The average population for a municipality in New Cambria was approximately 43,000, though a wide difference existed between the largest (Arvant, 366,000) and the smallest (Jeđeves, 1,021) municipalities. During the 2009 election, both the incumbent government, led by the Independence Party of New Cambria, as well as the opposition, led by the Social Democratic Party of New Cambria, included local government reform as part of their election campaign platforms. The Independence Party favored doing away with all Municipal Councils (save the four "Home Rule" councils) and delegating all services to the County Councils. The Social Democratic Party put forth a sweeping consolidation proposal, reducing the number of municipalities in the country from 65 to approximately 20. When the Social Democratic Party won the 2009 election and was the senior member in the incoming Executive Council, plans to carry out this consolidation proposal were already underway. The passage of the Local Government (Consolidation) Act 2010 reduced the size of both the Municipal and County Councils' memberships significantly. On 25 March 2011, the legislation enacting the most important changes was passed by the Assembly, with a vote of 56 in favor and 44 against. Debate The issue of local government reform has proved divisive amongst legislators and voters. Arguments in favor The largest argument in favor of consolidating the municipalities was fiscal. Several of New Cambria's smaller municipal governments were near bankrupt, as their tax revenue was not enough to provide essential services to residents. Half of New Cambria's municipalities had fewer than 20,000 residents, and the cost of 65 municipal governments was proving prohibitively high. Waste was another issue, as the number of agencies providing services to citizens was redundant. The Ministry for Finance estimated New Cambria would save £500 million over three years by reducing the number of municipalities by half. Arguments against Much of the criticism the reforms received came from members of New Cambria's protected minority language communities. Both the French and Hejvat languages enjoy protected status in the respective areas where they are spoken, but in areas where English is the majority language, the special provisions do not always apply. Many French-speaking New Cambrians believed the redrawing of municipal borders akin to gerrymandering, since all 22 proposed municipalities would have majority English=speaking populations. The Ministry for Community, Equality and Minority Affairs stated that the right of New Cambria's language communities to use the languages of their choice was inviolable, and the government will continue to take steps to protect and promote their use. Changes Counties Cavit Island and the Outer Islands were both dissolved and combined into a single new county, simply called Islands. New Cambria's seven other counties were not changed. Municipalities 62 of New Cambria's 65 municipalities were dissolved and combined together. Arvant, Talbot and Southport were not changed. County Administrative Boards The nine County Councils are to be dissolved and replaced by eight County Administrative Boards. The County Administrative Boards are appointed by the Government, and are led by a Governor who is appointed to a term of three years. The purpose of the County Administrative Boards is to coordinate the development of the counties in line with the goals set by the government, and to provide a mode of interaction between local residents and the national bureaucracy. Legally, they are government agencies subordinated to the central government in Arvant. Among the primary responsibilities of the County Administrative Boards: * Regional transport * Strategic and urban planning * Consumer protection * Licensing * Policing Municipal Authorities The 61 Municipal Councils and the 4 Home Rule Municipal Councils are to be dissolved and replaced by 22 new Municipal Authorities. The Municipal Authority is an elected assembly of the municipality. It is a political entity, elected by the voters in a municipality and has several responsibilities to the area it serves. Legally, the Municipal Authorities exercise a degree of municipal self-government provided for in the Constitution of New Cambria. This does not constitute any degree of federalism, which is consistent with New Cambria's status as a unitary state. The Municipal Authorities are led by a Commissioner, elected to a term of three years. Among the primary responsibilities of the Municipal Authorities: * Childcare and pre-school * Primary and secondary schools * Social service * Elderly care * Support to people with disabilities * Local tax collection * Health and environmental issues * Emergency services (not policing, which is the responsibility of the central government) * Local planning and zoning * Sanitation Category:New Cambria